Bruins sign Knight, Spooner

New England Hockey Journal has learned that
forwards Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner (pictured
below) have agreed to terms with the Boston Bruins.

The two reportedly are under standard entry level deals (two-way)
for three years at or near the rookie maximum of $900k. Bonus
structure and details are not yet available.

“Well there’s no question, I think, that both those
players have matured, first and foremost,” Bruins Assistant
GM Don Sweeney said during the team’s development camp
earlier this month. “Ryan I’ve talked to numerous times
during the course of the development role that I kind of play, in
some areas away from the ice, as well as on the ice, but most
importantly away from the ice, and the challenges that the
professional ranks will present to him.

“Jared’s a little more ready-made in terms of his
physical stature and what he’s going to be as a physical
player. The cerebral part of the game for him, you know,
we’re going to continue to work upon and I think we did that
in Providence, when they got a snapshot.”

Knight, 19 was the 32nd overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry
Draft after scoring 36 goals for the London Knights of the OHL. He
was selected with the second-rounder acquired from Toronto in the
Phil Kessel deal. Knight tallied 25 goals and a career-best 70
points in 2010-11 to lead his team in scoring.

Spooner, 19, was chosen with Boston’s second-round pick,
45th overall in the same draft. The diminutive but highly skilled
center fell in the draft largely because he missed most of the
2009-10 season’s second half with a fractured collarbone.
Last season, he scored a career high 35 goals and 81 points with
the Peterborough Petes and Kingston Frontenacs.

“We indicated to them that they’re a big part of our
group going forward but there’s not a lot of players that
necessarily do that,” said Sweeney. “There’s a
bit of an inherited risk there, obviously. So we’re excited,
that’s the type of players we’re trying to identify as
part of this organization, that’s a big part of why we won
this year.”